How can a manager improve their interpersonal skills?

I'm a product manager with two years' experience. Can you recommend some companies with great mentors to improve my skills as a product manager?

• Answer:

  Starting your own company or product will grant you access to the best mentors. Top leaders in a field respect and relate best with other people who want to be or are leaders themselves. Building your own product on the side, in your own startup or with a group of friends is one of the best ways to improve your skills. Then you have something to approach mentors or they approach you about that have experience in the same area you are interested in. The alternative routes are 1. Determining your industry interest and then locating a company that has expertise in that area to work for 2. Determining what skills you need and finding a mentor that has excelled and introduce your self to see if they would be willing to mentor you or hire you 3. Start asking people you highly respect for advice on where to go next, build a relationship with them. Many skilled people are willing to answer questions as it costs them a short amount of time and has great benefit to the receiver. Who someone mentors is typically an individual choice, some mentors only mentor internal employees, others people they fund, others who are starting their own company or product. My suggestion is to ask the question What companies have a strong mentoring or leadership development program in abc field/skill of interest your interest.